9. Layered Leather & Jeweled Wall Medallion
What This Idea Means
Combining rustic leathercraft with fine jewelry components, this wall medallion features concentric rings of laser-cut or hand-carved leather layered over polished brass disks, centered with a prominent gemstone cabochon and detailed wire wrap detailing.
How to Make It
- Cut Leather Disks: Cut concentric circular disks from thick vegetable-tanned leather, tooling geometric edge borders using leather stamps.
- Dye and Polish: Apply dark mahogany or tan leather dye, let dry, and burnish the edges smooth with a wooden slicker.
- Layer Metal Base: Sandwich a polished brass sheet disk behind the leather cutout so the warm metal shines through tooled leather patterns.
- Mount Center Focal Stone: Wire-wrap a large turquoise, jasper, or lapis lazuli cabochon onto a brass bezel plate and rivet it to the center of the leather medallion.
- Add Hanging Loop: Attach a heavy leather hanging loop to the top rim using brass double-cap rivets.
Tips & Variations
- Tip: Dampen the leather surface slightly with water before stamping to achieve deep, crisp tool impressions.
- Variation: Add hanging leather fringe decorated with brass beads along the lower rim of the medallion.
What You Need
- Vegetable-tanned tooling leather sheet
- Leather dyes & edge burnishing tool
- Polished sheet brass disks
- Gemstone cabochon & craft wire
- Leather hole punch & brass rivets